Rockies 5, Pirates 0
PITTSBURGH -- Jorge De La Rosa pitched into the seventh inning for just his second win in his last 10 starts before being ejected and Ben Paulsen hit a two-run triple as the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 on Sunday.
De La Rosa (8-6) allowed four hits in six-plus innings while striking out seven and walking one. The left-hander's only other win since July 11 came Aug. 7 against the Nationals at Washington.
Relievers Scott Oberg, Christian Friedrich, Jairo Diaz and John Axford completed the four-hit shutout.
De La Rosa and manager Walt Weiss were ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Jeff Nelson as Weiss went to the mound to remove De La Rosa from the game in the seventh.
Holding a 5-0 lead, De La Rosa gave up a double to Pirates third baseman Aramis Ramirez to lead off the inning, then walked catcher Francisco Cervelli. De La Rosa began yelling and gesturing at Nelson following the walk.
Paulsen, a rookie first baseman, and center fielder Charlie Blackmon both had two hits for the Rockies (52-76), who won for just the fifth time in 19 games while avoiding being swept in the three-game series.
The Pirates (79-50) had their four-game winning streak snapped and lost for just fourth time in 18 games.
Paulsen's triple came in the fourth inning off Charlie Morton (8-6) immediately after third baseman Nolan Arenado snapped a scoreless tie with an RBI double. Arenado had gone 1-for-15 in his previous four games.
A throwing error by Morton in the sixth inning enabled the Rockies to score two runs and extend their lead to 5-0.
With two outs and runners on first and second, rookie catcher Dustin Garneau hit a tapper between home plate and the pitcher's mound that Morton fielded, then made an underhand toss that sailed over first baseman Michael Morse's head.
Morton allowed five runs -- three earned -- and six hits in six innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
Shortstop Jordy Mercer had two of the Pirates' four hits.
NOTES: Pirates RHP A.J. Burnett had a 71-pitch bullpen session Sunday and is hopeful of returning from the disabled list sometime from Sept. 15-17 when the Pirates play a four-game home series against the Chicago Cubs. Burnett has been on the disabled list since July 31 with a strained flexor tendon in his right elbow. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole will now start Tuesday night at Milwaukee instead of Wednesday night, which puts the 15-game winner in line to pitch Sunday night at St. Louis in the finale of a pivotal three-game series. The Cardinals led the Pirates by 3 1/2 games in the National League Central going into Sunday's action. ... Rockies SS Jose Reyes was rested in a day game after a night game. It was the fourth time in 30 games that Reyes did not start since being acquired July 28 from Toronto in a trade. ... Rockies LHP Ken Roberts was claimed off waivers by Philadelphia, a day after being designated for assignment. ... Colorado opens a four-game home series against Arizona on Monday night with Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (7-6, 4.61 ERA) pitching against Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (3-10, 3.86 ERA). ... Pittsburgh is off Monday before Cole (15-7, 2.44 ERA) faces Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (10-10, 3.81 ERA) in Tuesday night's opener of a three-game series.